Articles, Chapters by Steve Tamari
Ma'had al-'Alam lil-Dirasat, 2017
[In Arabic; translated by Naser Dumairieh] This article uses the teaching profession as it worked... more [In Arabic; translated by Naser Dumairieh] This article uses the teaching profession as it worked in 18th -century Damascus as a vehicle for specifying the ways the Ottoman system as it functioned in 18th -century Damascus accommodated a spectrum of divergent political priorities, religio-legal affiliations, and intellectual orientations. The focus is on three endowed teaching positions and the legal-cum-intellectual orientations that accompanied them. Together, they define a professional and intellectual division of labor that incorporated pre-Ottoman and localist sensibilities within a decidedly Ottoman institutional and political framework. (See the English version under "Conference Proceedings" below).
This essay is based on a close reading of a seventeenth-century travelogue with an eye to making ... more This essay is based on a close reading of a seventeenth-century travelogue with an eye to making some suggestions about the place of Lebanon, and of the Biqaʿ Valley in particular, within the broader expanse of geographical Syria. The specific text is the record of a trip the Damascene scholar and traveler ʿAbd al-Ghani al-Nabulsi (d. 1731 CE ) took to this region in 1689 CE . Along the way, we discover that al-Nabulsi’s observations illuminate more than the land itself. Though conceived of as a pilgrimage to sacred sites, the travelogue reveals much more. For one, it demonstrates a surprising degree of engagement between, on the one hand, the bookish knowledge that was his way of life and, on the other, the insights and experience of his commoner interlocutors. For one whose impetus was spiritual, al-Nabulsi’s meticulous attention to describing the ruins at Baalbek suggests a habit of mind that was as empirically inclined as it was oriented to more “hidden” forms of understanding. Finally, the explicitly sensual delight he takes in the natural beauty of the Lebanese landscape further enriches (and complicates) the profile of a man who exercised as many of his human faculties as one can imagine.
Marshall Hodgson’s scholarship, notably his contribution of the
“Islamicate” to the study of Isla... more Marshall Hodgson’s scholarship, notably his contribution of the
“Islamicate” to the study of Islamic civilization, parallels the work of other legendary world historians, notably Arnold Toynbee, Fernand Braudel and William McNeill. Hodgson’s work is unique in distinguishing the religious –that is, Islamic – aspects of history from the non-Muslim cultural and scientific
aspects of this history as well as the roles played by non-Muslims who happened to be ruled by Muslims. Hodgson also emphasized continuities between Islamicate civilization and the wider world. In so doing, Hodgson was a precursor of much of today’s global history, from his criticism of Eurocentrism to
his extensive study of cultural and historical interconnections and interdependencies. This essay reintroduces a few of Hodgson’s contributions and makes the case for greater scholarly attention to his work.
Intellectuals and Civil Society in the Middle East: Liberalism, Modernity, and Political Discourse. Edited by Mohammed Bamyeh., 2012
Scholars of pre-Tanzimat Ottoman Islamic intellectual life have shied away from exploring the exp... more Scholars of pre-Tanzimat Ottoman Islamic intellectual life have shied away from exploring the explicitly political role of the ulama. This is largely a function of the modernist assumption that the pre-Tanzimat Ottoman Empire, particularly its Arab provinces, was mired in social, economic, and intellectual decline. During the last decades, social and economic historians have painstakingly revised this dismal view. However, the notion that the ulama devoted themselves primarily to the inculcation of an unchanging Islamic tradition remains well entrenched. The career of the 17th- and 18th-century Syrian scholar Abd al-Ghani al-Nabulusi demonstrates that, in fact, the pursuits of members of the ulama were often inspired by the social and political currents of their time. Nabulusi, for one, was a tireless defender of the mystical philosophy of Muhi al-Din Ibn Arabi and of popular religious practices against their fundamentalist detractors. He was often at odds with Ottoman officialdom and expressed loyalties, such as Arab ethnic solidarity, which had significant political implications. He was chosen to be Hanafi mufti of Damascus by popular acclaim only to be unseated by officials in Istanbul within a year. That a member of the ulama like Nabulusi expressed the social and political concerns of his day has significant implications for our understanding of the continuities between pre-modern and modern history, particularly as they touch upon the social role of the intellectual.
Scholars of pre-Tanzimat Ottoman Islamic intellectual life have shied away from exploring the exp... more Scholars of pre-Tanzimat Ottoman Islamic intellectual life have shied away from exploring the explicitly political role of the ulama. This is largely a function of the modernist assumption that the pre-Tanzimat Ottoman Empire, particularly its Arab provinces, was mired in social, economic, and intellectual decline. During the last decades, social and economic historians have painstakingly revised this dismal view. However, the notion that the ulama devoted themselves primarily to the inculcation of an unchanging Islamic tradition remains well entrenched. The career of the 17th- and 18th-century Syrian scholar Abd al-Ghani al-Nabulusi demonstrates that, in fact, the pursuits of members of the ulama were often inspired by the social and political currents of their time. Nabulusi, for one, was a tireless defender of the mystical philosophy of Muhi al-Din Ibn Arabi and of popular religious practices against their fundamentalist detractors. He was often at odds with Ottoman officialdom and expressed loyalties, such as Arab ethnic solidarity, which had significant political implications. He was chosen to be Hanafi mufti of Damascus by popular acclaim only to be unseated by officials in Istanbul within a year. That a member of the ulama like Nabulusi expressed the social and political concerns of his day has significant implications for our understanding of the continuities between pre-modern and modern history, particularly as they touch upon the social role of the intellectual.
Syria and Bilad al-Sham under Ottoman Rule: Essays in Honour of Abdul-Karim Rafeq. Edited by Peter Sluglett with Stefan Weber. , 2010
"This chapter explores the intersection of spiritual and ethnic identity among Arab Muslim schola... more "This chapter explores the intersection of spiritual and ethnic identity among Arab Muslim scholars in early modern Syria, before the development of modern and explicitly political Arab nationalism must later. It is based on historical, legal, and literary sources from 16th-18th century Bilad al-Sham, particularly the work of 'Abd al-Ghani al-Nabulusi (d. 1731), that touch on the issue of identity. The chapter identifies the following key symbolic components of pre-nationalist Arab ethnic consciousness: a myth of common descent through a convergence of Abrahamic and Arab genealogies; the idea of Arab “chosenness” and the special status of the Arabs through Muhammad’s prophetic career; Arabic as the language of God; and the sacredness of territories, such as Mecca, Medina, and Jerusalem, associated with Arab and Islamic history. The chapter aims to contribute to current debates among scholars of nationalism and ethnicity about the significance of pre-modern ethnic consciousness for the development of modern nationalism.
"
Világtörténet: World History , 2017
The study of the Arabs of the Ottoman Empire has entered a new phase during the first two decades... more The study of the Arabs of the Ottoman Empire has entered a new phase during the first two decades of the 21st century. Whereas economic and social history dominated the scholarship of last generation, younger scholars have increasingly turned to cultural and intellectual history. The study of Arab ethnic identity holds significant potential as a subject that can contribute to exploring the continuities between pre-modern and modern Arab history despite the fact that Western historians in particular continue to dismiss the suggestion that modern Arab nationalism had pre-modern antecedents. The article analyzes two questions, one more specific and empirical, the second more general and theoretical. First, what were the constituent elements of Arab identity as understood by the ‘ulama’ of this period, what, in the final analysis, distinguished Arabs from others. Secondly, what are the theoretical implications of the existence of Arab ethnic consciousness prior to the rise of nationalism for our understanding of concepts like “the nation” and nationalism itself, and was there an Arab nation before the rise of nationalism?
Trajectories of Education in the Arab World. Edited by Osama Abi-Mershed., 2010
Auto/Biography and the Construction of Identity and Community in the Middle East. Edited by Mary Ann Fay. , 2001
Social History of Bilad al-Sham: Biographical and Autobiographical Literature. Edited by Issam Nassar and Salim Tamari. , 2007
Nineteenth- and twentieth-century students of educational institutions in Damascus have disparage... more Nineteenth- and twentieth-century students of educational institutions in Damascus have disparaged the Ottoman period as one of decline. This article challenges the assumptions and conclusions of these historians by looking at the status of Islamic colleges, madrasas, during the eighteenth century. Though the construction of madrasas in the eighteenth century did not rival the "golden age" of the twelfth and thirteenth centuries, all phases of Damascus' history as a center of Islamic education should be put in the context of alternating periods of ups and downs. Within such a context the Ottoman period in general and the eighteenth century in particular emerge as much more vibrant than historians have assumed.
al-Hayat (London), Mar 30, 1996
A short survey of the history of Arab immigration to Haiti published in Arabic in 1996. An Englis... more A short survey of the history of Arab immigration to Haiti published in Arabic in 1996. An English translation is attached.
Translations by Steve Tamari
The Modern Middle East: A Sourcebook for History. Edited by Camron Michael Amin, Benjamin C. Fortna, and Elizabeth B. Frierson. , 2006
The Modern Middle East: A Sourcebook for History. Edited by Camron Michael Amin, Benjamin C. Fortna, and Elizabeth B. Frierson. , 2006
Electronic Middle East Sourcebook
Translation of an excerpt from the diary of a Damascene teacher of the 18th century.
Resources for Teachers by Steve Tamari
… , Washington, DC.(online edition). Retrieved from …, 2008
A basic primer from teachers and students.
Book Reviews by Steve Tamari
Review of Firas Alkhateeb, Lost Islamic History: Reclaiming Muslim Civilisation from the Past
International Journal of Middle East Studies, Vol. 46, no. 04 (November 2014), pp 826-828.
Friends Journal, vol. 60, no. 10 (Nov. 2014), 35-36.
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Articles, Chapters by Steve Tamari
“Islamicate” to the study of Islamic civilization, parallels the work of other legendary world historians, notably Arnold Toynbee, Fernand Braudel and William McNeill. Hodgson’s work is unique in distinguishing the religious –that is, Islamic – aspects of history from the non-Muslim cultural and scientific
aspects of this history as well as the roles played by non-Muslims who happened to be ruled by Muslims. Hodgson also emphasized continuities between Islamicate civilization and the wider world. In so doing, Hodgson was a precursor of much of today’s global history, from his criticism of Eurocentrism to
his extensive study of cultural and historical interconnections and interdependencies. This essay reintroduces a few of Hodgson’s contributions and makes the case for greater scholarly attention to his work.
"
Translations by Steve Tamari
Resources for Teachers by Steve Tamari
Book Reviews by Steve Tamari
“Islamicate” to the study of Islamic civilization, parallels the work of other legendary world historians, notably Arnold Toynbee, Fernand Braudel and William McNeill. Hodgson’s work is unique in distinguishing the religious –that is, Islamic – aspects of history from the non-Muslim cultural and scientific
aspects of this history as well as the roles played by non-Muslims who happened to be ruled by Muslims. Hodgson also emphasized continuities between Islamicate civilization and the wider world. In so doing, Hodgson was a precursor of much of today’s global history, from his criticism of Eurocentrism to
his extensive study of cultural and historical interconnections and interdependencies. This essay reintroduces a few of Hodgson’s contributions and makes the case for greater scholarly attention to his work.
"